WASHINGTON (AP) — The new Congress will be slightly more Democratic and more female though House Republicans still hold a majority large enough to confront and confound President Barack Obama as the nation grapples with a slow-moving economic recovery and record deficits.

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Senate Democrats, once scrambling to save vulnerable incumbents and their tenuous numerical advantage, surprisingly gained a net of two seats as undecided races were settled Wednesday. The final results gave women a high-water mark of 20 in the 100-member chamber as Hawaii’s Mazie Hirono, Nebraska’s Deb Fischer, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin and Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota were elected to join 15 returning female senators.

“I think what women bring to our Senate is a reality that voters across the country understand and reflect,” said Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., who chaired her party’s campaign committee. “When they see women speaking, there are people who say, ‘I understand that.’”

In Montana, Democratic Sen. Jon Tester turned back a challenge from Republican Rep. Denny Rehberg when the vote count wrapped up Wednesday. In North Dakota’s open race, GOP candidate Rep. Rick Berg conceded to Heitkamp, the former state attorney general.

Democrats will hold 53 seats to 45 for the Republicans, with the certainty that Vermont independent Bernie Sanders will align with the Democrats and the expectation that Maine independent Angus King will do the same to give Democrats an effective 55-45 majority. King said he could make a decision as early as next week when he heads to Washington. He received a congratulatory call from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., but said he never heard from the Republican leadership.

In the House, Republicans will have a smaller majority but not so small that it impacts their ability to control the chamber’s agenda and challenge Obama and Senate Democrats.

“The message I got is Americans don’t want a runaway Congress and administration,” said Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore., who is expected to head his party’s campaign committee next year. “If they wanted one-party control, they could have done that this election cycle. They didn’t do that.”

With only a smattering of House races still undecided, Republicans had won 233 seats, were assured of another after a December runoff between two Louisiana Republicans and led in an Arizona contest. That’s well more than the 218 needed to control the chamber, but less than the 242 seats they hold in the current Congress, including two seats vacated by GOP lawmakers.

Months of campaigning and millions of dollars spending left Washington with the same lineup: a Democratic president and a divided Congress. Lawmakers spoke hopefully about bridging the divide and tackling issues such as immigration, but divisions within their ranks, a still formidable tea party presence and even the next round of congressional races could undercut any agenda.

The rancor of the legislative session and the campaign clearly still lingered.

“I will do everything within my power to be as conciliatory as possible,” Reid told reporters at a Capitol Hill news conference. “But I want everyone to also understand, you can’t push us around.”